Cover, door, and latch assembly for electrical control device



Aug. 8, 1967 COVER.

H. l. QSTANBACK 3,334,770

DOOR. AND LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRICAL CONTROL. DEVICE Filed Oct. 13, 1965 United States Patent 3,334,770 COVER, DOOR, AND LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE Harris I. Stanback, Lexington, Ky., assignor to Square D Company, Park Ridge, 111., a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 495,556 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-35) This invention relates to a door latch for a door of a cover and door assembly of an electrical panelboard or load center, the cover of the assembly including an integrally formed interior trim panel.

An object of the invention is to provide a door latch for such an assembly, the door latch being formed in one piece, being readily attachable to the interior trim panel by a single rivet, and being depressible to release the door and also to push the door from the inside to a partly open position from a fully closed position flush with the cover.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box of an electrical panelboard and a cover and door assembly therefor, including a latch constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing the box recessed within a walland the cover in engagement with the wall;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, but showing the door in a partly open position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the door in a fully closed position; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the latch of FIGS. 1-4 before assembly thereof to the cover.

With reference to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a box and a cover 12 sec red thereto by a plurality of screws 14. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, and as shown particularly in FIG. 2, the cover 12 is of the type adapted to fit substantially flush against a wall surface with. the box 10 recessed in the wall, although it will be understood the latch of the invention may be provided on a cover intended for use with a box which is not recessed in a wall and having flanges overlapping the sides of the box.

The cover 12 includes an interior trim panel 16 and an exterior trim ring 18 formed integrally with each other and with a connecting offsetting portion 20. The trim panel 16 is provided with suitable apertures for the reception respectively of raised casing portions of electrical control devices such as a circuit breaker 22 shown in broken lines in FIG. 2. The trim panel 16 is normally covered by a door 24 recessed in a rearwardly recessed portion 18a of the trim ring 18 surrounding the offsetting portion 20 and the interior trim panel 16. The door 24 is pivotally mounted at its left edge in FIG. 1 on a pair of hinge curls 26 set in the cover 12, the hinge curls 26 receiving integral hinge pin portions of the door 24.

The door 24 is normally held in closed position by a latch 28 formed in one piece from spring steel and best shown in FIG. 5. The latch 28 includes an attaching strip portion 28a, a manually depressible operating portion 28b, a cam follower portion 28c, a latching portion 28d and a door actuating strip portion 28e. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the attaching strip portion 28a is secured adjacent its free end to the rear surface of a dished portion 16a of the interior trim panel 16 by a single rivet 30 and is bent to extend through a hole 18b in the exterior trim ring 18. In the vicinity of the latch 28, the recessed portion 18a of the trim ring 18 is provided with a further recessed portion 180 which receives the door actuating strip portion 28a.

The relative shape and position of the latch 28 when the door 24 is closed is shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. When the door 24 is being closed, an edge portion thereof acts as a cam and engages the cam follower portion 28c to move it toward the broken-line position thereof shown in FIG. 4 until the edge portion of the door 24 snaps behind the latching portion 28d. The door 24 also resiliently deforms the door actuating strip portion 28c into a generally straight shape parallel with the closed door 24, as shown in FIG. 4. When the operating portion 28b is depressed to the broken line position thereof shown in FIG. 4, the latching portion 28d releases the door 24 and the door actuating strip portion 28c forces the door 24 to a partly open position, as shown in FIG. 3. The door 24 can then be easily grasped and moved to fully open position.

I claim:

1. A cover, door, and latch assembly for an open-front box of an electrical control device, said assembly comprising a cover having an exterior trim ring and a rearwardly ofiset interior trim panel, a door having a pair of opposite edge portions and being pivotally mounted at one of said edge portions with respect to said cover, said door being disposed in covering relationship to said interior trim panel when in a closed position, and a onepiece latch disposed adjacent the other of said edge portions, said latch having a resiliently deformable attach ing strip portion secured adjacent its free end to said interior trim panel and formed to extend through a hole in said exterior trim ring, a manually depressible operating portion connected to the other end portion of said attaching strip portion, a cam follower portion connected to said operating portion, a latching portion connected to said cam follower portion, and a resiliently deformable door actuating strip portion connected to said latching portion, said other edge portion of said door acting as a cam and engaging said cam follower portion upon closing of said door to resiliently deform said attaching strip portion and temporarily move said latching portion out of interfering relationship with said door as said door is being closed until said door is past the junction of said cam follower portion and said latching portion, said door actuating strip portion also be' g resiliently deformed by said door as said door is closed, and said operating portion being depressible to move said latching portion out of latching relationship with said door and permit said door actuating strip portion to move said door to partly open position.

2. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said exterior trim ring and said interior trim panel are formed as one piece.

3. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said attaching strip portion is secured to said interior trim panel by a single fastening means.

4. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said free end of said attaching strip portion is secured to the rear surface of said interior trim panel.

5. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said exterior trim ring includes a rearwardly recessed portion surrounding said offset interior trim panel and said edge portions of said door are received in said recessed portion of said exterior trim ring when said door is in said closed position.

6. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said recessed portion of said exterior trim ring is provided with a further recessed portion for receiving said door actuating strip portion in the closed position of said door.

7. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said exterior trim ring and said interior trim panel are formed as one piece.

4 8. A cover, door, and latch assembly as claimed in References Cited :laim 5, wherein said attaching strip portion is secured UNITED STATES PATENTS to said interior trim panel by a single fastening means.

i 2,145,155 1/1939 Corbett 220-242 9. A cover, door, and latch assembly as clalmed 1n 3,137,408 6/1964 Taylor claim 5, wherein said free end of said attaching strip p0r- 5 tion is secured to the rear surface of said interior trim THERON CONDON, P Examinerpanel. G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COVER, DOOR, AND LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR AN OPEN-FRONT BOX OF AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A COVER HAVING AN EXTERIOR TRIM RING AND A REARWARDLY OFFSET INTERIOR TRIM PANEL, A DOOR HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE EDGE PORTIONS AND BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE OF SAID EDGE PORTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID COVER, SAID DOOR BEING DISPOSED IN COVERING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID INTERIOR TRIM PANEL WHEN IN A CLOSED POSITION, AND A ONEPIECE LATCH DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OTHER OF SAID EDGE PORTIONS, SAID LATCH HAVING A RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE ATTACHING STRIP PORTION SECURED ADJACENT ITS FREE END TO SAID INTERIOR TRIM PANEL AND FORMED TO EXTEND THROUGH A HOLE IN SAID EXTERIOR TRIM RING, A MANUALLY DEPRESSIBLE OPERATING PORTION CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID ATTACHING STRIP PORTION, A CAM FOLLOWER PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID OPERATING PORTION, A LATCHING PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID CAM FOLLOWER PORTION, AND A RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE DOOR ACTUATING STRIP PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID LATCHING PORTION, SAID OTHER EDGE PORTION OF SAID DOOR ACTING AS A CAM AND ENGAGING SAID CAM FOLLOWER PORTION UPON CLOSING OF SAID DOOR TO RESILIENTLY DEFORM SAID ATTACHING STRIP PORTION AND TEMPORARILY MOVE SAID LATCING PORTION OUT OF INTERFERING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DOOR AS SAID DOOR IS BEING CLOSED UNTIL SAID DOOR IS PAST THE JUNCTION OF SAID CAM FOLLOWER PORTION AND SAID LATCHING PORTION, SAID DOOR ACTUATING STRIP PORTION ALSO BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMED BY SAID DOOR AS SAID DOOR IS CLOSED, AND SAID OPERATING PORTION BEING DEPRESSIBLE TO MOVE SAID LATCHING PORTION OUT OF LATCHING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DOOR AND PERMIT SAID DOOR ACTUATING STRIP PORTION TO MOVE SAID DOOR TO PARTLY OPEN POSITION. 